The Chronicles of Azure
by TheGolurker
Summary: Azure moves to the peaceful town of Wildfire. All seems well until he falls victim to nightmarish circumstances... Can he found out the true cause behind this madness, and put an end to it for good? (Some parts of the story may get very graphic, so beware...)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello there! This is the Golurker, making my fanfic debut! Bit of background, the story originally was an episodic series sent via Swapnote, but given the discontinuation of its SpotPass functionality, it never got completed. Here, I hope to finish what I started, as well as flesh out that story more without that pesky ink limit. Enjoy!**

_**Chapter 1: A Peaceful Prologue**_

_Ch-chak ch-chak… Ch-chak ch-chak…_

I awoke to the rhythmic sound of a train rolling along on the tracks. Once my eyes had adjusted to the bright lights of the train car, I lifted my head to see an anthropomorphic cat seated across from me. The feline stared at me inquisitively, eager to break the ice. He introduced himself as Rover and started asking me questions like what my name and where my destination is, which struck me as a bit strange. It wasn't the fact that he was a talking cat, but that his name was Rover. Isn't that a dog's name? In any case, I responded to his inquiries in turn.

"My name is Azure, and I'm on my way to a town called Wildfire."

He was certainly very outgoing, continuing the conversation with a great big smile on his face, which offset his otherwise ominous red eyes. We kept on chatting the time away about his past and interest in trains until-

_Ding! We have arrived at Wildfire Station. Please watch your step when exiting the train._

Having reached my stop, I waved good-bye to my newfound feline friend, and stepped off onto the station platform. Upon exiting the station, I was taken aback by the beautiful scenery that lay before me in this warm, beachside town. There were two majestic waterfalls on either side of the landscape. The one to my left poured fiercely down into the ocean, whereas the one on my right fed the meandering river that flowed across the center of town. I could see the various resident's houses scattered throughout, including a particularly tall castle-like structure at the far end of the area. Before I could stand in awe at the sight of my new hometown much longer, I was greeted by a youthful kid with fiery orange hair in a messy, unkempt style. He was the same height as I was with a childish face, but I had a feeling he was older than his appearance suggested. For some reason, he was wearing nothing but a grass skirt and a bandage on his face. My guess was he came straight from a hula dancing contest. Either that, or he wanted to put the "wild" in Wildfire.

"Hi there!" He greeted cheerfully, "You must be Azure, the new guy who's moving in to this fine town! My name is Slash, and I'm the mayor here! Lemme give ya the Wildfire Grand Tour!"

He guided me around the entire village, introducing me to the other residents, as well as showing me the main landmarks. I also become fast friends with Lucky the laid-back mummy dog, and the dance fanatic mouse, Chadder. After the excursion had concluded, the orange-haired mayor asked, "Now that you've seen it all, have ya decided where ya wanna build your house?" After some consideration, I chose to have it built near the bridge at the center of town, which the locals have dubbed "Lunar Bridge" because of it's great view of the night sky.

"Alrighty then! I'll talk to Tom Nook about getting your house set up, Azure! I'll even take care of your housing expenses for ya! …Under one condition."

Curious of what the caveat could be, I asked what it was.

"Well, I'm currently doing some scientific research on bettering the lives of Wildfire's residents. Though I have made some progress, I'm kinda suffering from a lack of work space at the moment… What I'm asking is to be able to use your house as my research lab. But not the whole house! I just need one room. I'll provide ya with a nice, cozy bedroom upstairs! Ya can even crash at my place until construction is completed! Whaddya say?"

It was quite a generous deal, even if I have one less room to myself. And besides, his work will do much good for everyone in the town, right? With not a second wasted, I took him up on his offer.

As the sun set, we made our way over to his house overlooking the ocean, the same looming structure I saw all the way from the station. Being the mayor certainly has its perks. As the last rays of daylight faded from the sky, I laid down in a comfy hammock in the main room of Slash's expansive island-themed home. Before closing my eyes to sleep, I took a moment to reflect on the events that transpired that day. Getting a home in a peaceful and picturesque village, receiving help from an eccentric, yet generous mayor; befriending the quirky, but still relatable residents… I thought life could only get better from there.

Oh, how very,_ very_ wrong that statement would turn out to be… Little did I know, I would soon long the company that furry ferroequinologist I met earlier on my journey here…


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: A Nefarious Nightmare**_

When I awoke the next day, I was lying on the ground face-first. After spitting out a mouthful of sand, I scanned my surroundings, which was still the simulated tropical environment of the Mayor's home I slept in yesterday. From the looks of it, I must've fallen out of my hammock in the middle of night and somehow stayed asleep through the impact. Or perhaps I suffered a mild concussion and just remembered none of it.

Upon further analysis of the room, I realized my gracious host was nowhere to be found. Thinking he went out for a morning walk, I stepped outside… only to be greeted by Slash with an expression of impatient glee and anticipation.

"I was wondering when you'd finally wake up, Azure! Don't ya know how long I was waiting?!" Judging by the messier-than-usual condition of his orange hair, I'm guessing it wasn't very long. "Oh well, that doesn't matter right now," he continued, "I've got something to show you!". Before I could even utter a word, he grabbed me by the wrist and ran north past his house, all the while weaving his way through stalks of bamboo at a breakneck pace.

When he finally stopped, we stood before a solidly built two-story house. Not as grandiose as the Mayor's residence, naturally, but it certainly looked like a nice place to live. "I've already had the Nook team install the lab equipment to my exact specifications, which saved me a ton of time! Now let's take a look inside!"

The lab area itself was very spacious, but with the sheer amount of scientific instruments, it made the place very tightly packed. And when I say "scientific instruments", I use the term very loosely. There were the expected assortments of microscopes, beakers, and flasks, but there were plenty of other objects that seemed very out of place. There was a small assortment of gym equipment off in one corner, a group of four gyroids off in another, as well as a rainbow-assortment of pickles stuffed in a jar balanced precariously on top of a cardboard box. Calling it a strange sight wouldn't even begin to describe it.

"So, pal, whaddya think of my new lab?"

"It sure is… like nothing I've ever seen before…"

"Well of course it isn't! This place is one-of-a-kind, just like me! Ahahahahahaha!"

There was definitely no arguing with that statement. But I still couldn't wrap my mind around on how all these random implements could possibly be used in any meaningful way. So I asked him what kind of experiments he would be working on.

"Hmm… let's see… energy drinks, therapeutic effects of gyroids, dream research, and a whole bunch of… other things." I suppose those first two would explain the exercise machines and gyroid quartet, but the pickles? "Uh, I get kinda hungry sometimes… scientific research sure does wonders on one's appetite! But in any case, how 'bout I show ya your new room already!" With not a moment to spare, we traveled up the staircase of my new home.

My bedroom was significantly smaller than the laboratory below, but it was still warm and inviting, even if the décor seemed to have come from a day-care center. As juvenile as the room was, I didn't want to come of as ungrateful, so I still thanked him for everything he'd done for me.

"Actually, I should be the one thanking you! Without you, this place wouldn't even be built!"

After a moment of hesitation, he continued on, "I hate to ask this right after seeing your new house, but would ya mind helping me with a few of my experiments today?"

"Sure, I don't see why not."

The rest of the day went by in flash, filled with workouts, chemistry, brain scans, and a particularly awkward incident involving reflective body paint. Exhausted by the day's hectic and mildly peculiar chain of events, I laid down on my soft, plushy bed and soon fell into slumber while the stars twinkled in the sky… Then it happened.

**Author's Note: The following scene gets very graphic; if you are particularly squeamish, I would strongly recommend to skip this section with the knowledge that many horrible things take place. However, if you're feeling brave enough, by all means, read on.**

I found myself laying down on a sinister looking metal table, my body completely exposed to the chilled air of the laboratory. My arms and legs were restrained, with cold metal cuffs squeezing my wrists and ankles like a vice. The room was blindingly bright and illuminated in a eerie yellowish-tint, due to the absence of natural sunlight to balance out the synthetic lighting. An ominous figure shifted into view, holding a crudely fashioned blade unsettlingly close to my chest. Against the stark contrast of the ambient light, I couldn't make out the features of this entity's shadowy face, save for its maliciously toothy grin.

"Well hello there…" it greeted, with a voice emanating sadism, "I hear you're new in town, so I thought I might give you a proper welcome…" The figure raised the jagged piece of metal it wielded in its hand as it spoke, allowing the implement to glint in the room's jaundiced luminosity.

"Heh heh heh… Why don't you and I have us a little… fun…"

The blade made a painfully deep incision in the center of my chest, its edge slowly gliding all the way down to my abdomen. The entity leaned in to lap up some of the blood that seeped out of the large cut carved in my torso. The malefactor shuddered with joy as it licked the sanguine substance off its lips, further fueling its maniacal bloodlust. I couldn't help but writhe in the severe agony of the injury. Perhaps perceiving my actions as a futile attempt of escape, the bloodthirsty creature held down my neck to the metal slab with its free hand.

"Hey now, don't leave yet, we're just getting started…"

Laying the knife aside, the other hand reached inside the bloody gaping crevasse in my body and swiftly grabbed a chunk of organic matter, which I presumed to be my liver. As I witnessed the savage sinking its teeth relentlessly into it, every fiber of my being wanted to scream toward the heavens, but it was an impossible task. The grip on my neck was so strong, I couldn't utter a sound aside from a few weak, barely-audible whimpers.

The creature continued chewing on its ill-begotten feast, messily spraying the contents thereof throughout the surrounding area. After letting loose a devilish moan of satisfaction over its recent meal, the beast resumed its cutting frenzy, making incision after agonizing incision in each of my limbs. The pain I felt only kept getting worse as more and more of my blood continued to escape from my body. After making countless more lacerations in my exposed flesh, the sadistic "surgeon" froze in place, panting heavily.

"Haah… haah… Now… that was… haah… very satisfying… However… the best part… has yet to come!"

Immediately after it uttered those words, I felt an excruciatingly acute sting in my pelvis… as I was literally dis_member_ed by a jagged edge. With no hand affixed to my neck to hinder me, I let out as loud a scream as my lungs and fatigue would allow. All the while, the blade's wielder just stood there, laughing in twisted satisfaction. But the torment of my afflictions was simply too great for me to bear, as I slowly faded into unconsciousness, with blood flowing out between my legs and tears streaming down my face…


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: A Resident's Resolve**_

The next thing I remembered, I sat upright in a cold sweat and breathing heavily. Frantically checking my surroundings, I realized I was in the bed I had fallen asleep in. With a great amount of apprehension, I looked under my covers and scanned my body. I found no evidence of the horrific things that had happened to me that previous terrifying night. Though I was extremely relieved that I was unscathed and in one piece, I couldn't help from wondering… Could those agonizing events I remembered so vividly really have only been a nightmare? The pain I felt had been all too real. However, nothing on or around me could confirm that it had, in fact, occurred.

I then heard a knock on the door. I wasn't exactly in the best condition to talk with anyone, but I nonetheless slowly got myself out of bed to answer it. But when I put my weight on my feet, I felt a strong phantom pain coursing up through my legs. Though it was not as strong as when I was in the midst of the nightmare, it was enough to make me stumble to my knees. Last night's torment may not have truly happened, but every part of my body didn't seem to think so. Hugging the wall, I was able to feebly limp down the staircase and open the door.

I was greeting yet again by the ever-cheerful face of Slash… who upon seeing my haggard state soon changed his expression into one of stern concern.

"I was about ask if ya slept well last night, but… it doesn't look like that's the case at all! What happened?!"

"Many things… many terrible, _terrible_ things… I had the worst nightmare I've ever had in my entire life… I-I… I-I'd really would rather not go into detail…" I found it very difficult for me to even speak, let alone form coherent sentences. It was also getting nigh impossible to continue standing, as I crumpled to the ground on my hands and knees, my eyes on the verge of tears.

"A-Azure?! Are you all right?! H-hold on, I'll get something for ya!"

After propping me up against the door frame, he rushed inside, grabbing a small bottle from a fridge at the far end of the lab.

"Here! Drink this!"

Slash held up a container filled with a liquid as orange as the mayor's hair. I partook of the bottle, feeling almost immediately reinvigorated as its pleasant citrusy taste filled my palette. I also felt my fears slowly losing its hold on my mind. I still wasn't feeling quite like my normal self, but it was definitely an improvement.

"A nightmare you say?" the flame-haired kid breathed a dejected sigh, "…I was afraid this would happen again…" He turned away from me to stare at the horizon, his hand reaching across to grab his shoulder.

While tentatively getting back up on my feet, I asked him, "What do you mean 'again'? This kind of thing has happened before?"

"…How 'bout we go for a walk, this might take a while."

When we were well surrounded by some of the town's verdant plant life, Slash took the opportunity to speak up.

"Well, ya see, this isn't the first time an incident like yours has taken place… A few of the villagers had an experience strikingly similar to what you described. They didn't care to go into much detail of their ordeal either, but they did mention seeing a sinister monstrosity whose facial features where almost completely obscured. Does this sound a lot like what happened to you?"

"Y-yeah actually, spot on."

He continued, "I tried as much as I could to undo the trauma that they underwent, but I have no way of knowing if my efforts were able to restore them to their former selves…"

Just then, some of the pieces of this elaborate puzzle began to fall into place… The energy drinks, the dream research… all that was connected to these nightmarish circumstances! This had to be the elusive goal that all his research was working toward!

"Have you any ideas on what could be causing all this?", I inquired.

"Sadly, not a clue. I even tried monitoring their brain waves while those who were afflicted slumbered off, but the bad dreams never resurfaced when I did so… If only there was more I could do…"

A brief moment of silence hung in the air as a soft breeze blew from the direction of the sea. I thought about all the other villagers. How many of them had gone through the same tribulation I had? Was their upbeat demeanor their way of trying to cope with the nightmarish torment they had experienced? It was in that instant that I resolved that I wouldn't simply be another hapless victim to whatever was behind all this. I was going to uncover the cause, and put an end to its mental rampage.

"I can help you! I'll investigate these occurrences and find a way to stop it from ever happening again!"

"B-but Azure, I couldn't possibly ask you to commit your time and energy to such a difficult cause! Especially after everything you must've gone thro-"

"No, Slash, I appreciate your concern, but this is something I feel I need to do. After all the nice things you did for me… I would never forgive myself if I didn't do something for you in return!"

The researcher with the orange hair looked like he was going to say something else to keep me from undertaking the task, but he instead sighed in resignation.

"I suppose nothing I say is gonna stop you, now is it… Very well, go on and find the truth of this whole matter. Just…" He paused anxiously. "Just be careful, OK?"

"Don't worry, I will."

Slash started to walk away in the direction of the town hall. "Now if you'd excuse me, I still have other duties to attend to as mayor. I'll see ya 'round."

With a subtle flick of the wrist, he waved me good-bye as he entered in the hall's great wooden doors.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: An Intrepid Investigation**_

After the orange-haired mayor took his leave, I got started with the task of uncovering the truth of the nightmare plaguing the town. I first sought out the dog wrapped in bandages, Lucky, who I hadn't seen since the day I arrived here. After searching around for a few minutes, I found him fishing on the cobblestone bridge directly behind Wildfire's café.

"Oh, hey there Azure," he said through a yawn, "What's up?"

I explained to him that I had been trapped in a nightmare the night before, leaving out the messy parts (which was most of it), and asking if he knew anything about it.

Looking down at the ground with his one visible eye, he responded in a shaky voice, "You too, huh. Nothing 'gainst you, man, but I really don't wanna talk about it. Not now, not ever…"

"Hey, Lucky, I'm in the same situation you are, I know exactly how it feels! But right now, I'm investigating what's doing this to everyone. …Look, I'm not asking you to relive that horrific event in your mind again, I'd never want anyone to do that! I just want to know if ya remember anything about that sinister figure, so I can put a stop to who, or what ever it is."

"O-OK then…" The bandaged canine closed its eye, trying to recall what happened at the beginning of that fateful night. "I'm laying down, and I see something like a face. It kept on talking for a while, saying a whole buncha different things… When it leaned in, I saw its eyes. Its ice-cold blue eyes staring at me, as if it knew everything there was to know about me… And then it… A-and then it…"

The dog with the mummy motif started to shudder and sweat all over. Fearing that he may have gone too far into his memory of that nightmare, I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him a little.

"Lucky! Lucky! Snap out of it!"

He looked back up at me, blinking his one visible eye, as if coming out of a trance. "Woah, I guess I kinda got carried away there… " The canine let out a small sigh of relief. "In any case, did the info I told you help out?"

"…I think it did, actually. Thanks."

I admit it wasn't a lot to go on, but at least it was a start. I needed gather more info if I wanted to get anywhere though. I searched out my friend Chadder next. I didn't see him outside, so I stopped by his house next door to the mayor's grandiose residence to see if the mouse was home. I knocked on the door, only to find it was cracked open slightly. Peering into the small gap, I saw the cheese-colored rodent practicing one of his dance routines.

"Hey there, sorry to interrupt, but mind if I talk to you for a bit?"

He turned to see my face, and rushed to pause the CD player blasting the soundtrack.

"Oh, hey there, Azure! C'mon in! You're not interrupting anything!"

We sat down on a couch off to one side of the room.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about, huh?"

"Well, here's the thing… Last night, I had a horrible nightmare. I saw this… thing with an evil grin on its face… and then…"

"-It started doing unspeakably sadistic things to you?"

"Yeah… Exactly. I take it this happened to you too?"

"Mm-hmm. It was actually not too long before you first moved here that I had that same exact thing happen to me. I was hoping you wouldn't go through that experience, but I suppose it was inevitable…"

The way he said "inevitable" seemed to suggest he knew something more about these mysterious circumstances.

"What do you mean 'it was inevitable'?"

"Here's the thing, whenever someone moves here to Wildfire, they suffer a terrifying nightmare a few days after. I saw it happen to everyone who moved here after I did. I tried to think of what could cause all this, but nothing I come up with ever seems to explain it."

It became apparent that I wasn't the only one trying to sort out this mess. That fact alone helped to motivate me even more to fix this situation.

"I'm actually trying to figure this thing out myself." I told him, "Is there anything you remember that could shed some more light on this mystery?"

As soon as the word "light" came from my mouth, the expression on his face indicated that there was, like a dormant memory coming back up to the surface of his brain.

"I dunno if this'll help, but I do recall something… unusual. When that malefic lunatic turned its head a certain way, its face seem to shimmer a little. For a brief moment, I was able to see a faint image of myself and the room around me. Its been bothering me ever since, and to this day, I still don't know of anything that could explain that…"

My mind was drawing a blank as well, but having this knowledge could bring me one step closer to solving this thing once and for all.

On that note, I thanked him for his time and left my dance-loving friend to resume his routine.

While walking outside, the afternoon sunlight filtering through trees ripe with fruit, I got to thinking. Between omniscient, emotionless eyes and a face akin to a mirror, this enigmatic entity certainly didn't sound like anything human (or anthropomorphic animal, as the case may be), despite possessing a vaguely humanoid form. As skeptical as I am of paranormal activity, I pondered if that could be the ultimate cause.

If it was, there was one person I could speak to who was an expert on all things supernatural: the wandering fortune teller, Katrina. As luck would have it, she had selected today of all days to set up her tent in the event plaza. Walking through the elaborately decorated tarp, I greeted the feline fortune-teller and asked for her advice. After settling down a comfortable mat, she performed her usual fortune telling incantation.

During her trance, the soothsaying panther told me a cryptic message about a tranquil salon, with its customers feeling refreshed as they napped. I figured she was referring to the Dream Suite, and was telling me that it was to be my next destination. Given the rampant nightmares taking place, it certainly made sense that I should visit it. Hopefully, the answer I was searching for would be found there. When she came to, I gave her the consulting fee, and she left me with the words of her mantra:

"And remember, bad times… are just times that are bad."

I left the tent that day, heading for the Dream Suite, wishing I could've taken that motto to heart…


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5: A Distant Dreamscape**_

After a short trip across the train tracks on the north side of town, I stood before an intricately decorated cylindrical building known as the Dream Suite. Even through the closed door, I could still hear the calming tingle of bells and chimes. Heeding the advice of the meowing mystic (meowstic?) I had spoken to earlier, I set foot inside the soothing and otherworldly structure.

As soon as I entered, an elephantine being greeted me, "Welcome to the Dream Suite, weary traveler…", she said in a calming voice, "My name is Luna. I do not believe I have seen your face grace the inside of my establishment before… I presume you are new here?"

"Yes, actually, I moved here a couple days back. I came to your establishment by the recommendation of Katrina. Hopefully I can find the solution to a problem I've been having."

"Ah, yes. Many wanderers come here to relieve themselves from the world of stress. I hope to be able to do the same with you."

She gestured me over to a very comfortable-looking bed built for one, and handed me a set of loose pajamas I could easily slip over my clothes. As I got changed and laid down on the soft piece of lavish furniture, she asked,

"Now, what you like to dream about in this session? Would you allow me to select a dream for your enjoyment, or do you have something specific in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I want to have a dream of Wildfire."

With a look of slight bewilderment, the peaceable pachyderm inquired, "Why would you want to have a dream of the very town you live in, when you can explore it for yourself in a waking state?"

"I want to see for myself the way this town was in the past; I want to know the events that transpired before my arrival."

After pondering the notion for a few moments, Luna proceeded to grant my request. She turned down the lights, and counted down from three to lull me into a sweet state of slumber. But before completely falling asleep, I heard a beautiful, feminine voice echo one word inside my mind: "Azure…"

When I awoke, I found myself surrounded by snow and shrubbery. Even though I could see the ocean off in the distance, I had a strong feeling I wasn't in Wildfire anymore. Wandering around in this distant dreamscape, I saw that the town was filled with even more plant life than the one I had came from. There were several groves of evergreen firs scattered throughout the landscape, as well as no small amount of fruit-bearing trees. The was a wide variety of fruits, but they were predominantly pears, as opposed to the ubiquitous local oranges of Wildfire. There were also breathtaking waterfalls and a crystal clear river, but with a different configuration than I had seen previously. The mysterious voice in my head, called my name once again.

"Azure…"

In an attempt to find out the voice's source, I encountered several residents of the town, including an upbeat rising star rodent, Penelope; a somewhat reserved goat named Pashmina, with a peculiar interest in sweatbands; as well as a enigmatic figure in a mechanical suit who paid me little attention.

Once again, the voice echoed in my mind,

"Azure…"

This time it was less faint than before, and I could vaguely discern the source being somewhere in the center of town. I crossed a snow-covered cobblestone bridge leading to one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring sights I had ever seen. A tall, medieval-style castle in bright, pastel colors stood impressively amidst an immense field of pink and golden roses. A pathway led to the door, covered with solid stone tiles and lined with rare Jacob's ladders. I saw a few scattered here and there back in Wildfire, but never before have I seen this many gathered together in one location! The sound of a large bell then echoed across the landscape, as if to put the auditory icing on this proverbial cake.

Once the ringing had ceased, the door to the castle in front of me opened up, revealing a girl behind it. Her appearance was as much a sight to behold as the rest of the town. She was adorned in a simple white dress and pink-striped scarf, but had the face of a member of the finest royalty. Her hair ran down past her shoulders and shared the same dark brown color as her eyes, providing great contrast from her clothing and the landscape around her. She walked towards me with a slow, regal gait, but managed to do so without giving off an air of arrogance.  
"Hey there, Azure, I was waiting for you to get here!", she greeted, with the same sweet voice that spoke to my mind, "Welcome to the town of Overlook! I am the mayor, Raina, and I'm here to help!"

She invited me inside her brightly colored residence, and I saw the interior of the main room. I saw that both the walls and floor were covered in a pink floral pattern, while an upbeat melody played in the background. Off in one corner, I could see a vast collection of dolls and stuffed animals. I also spotted a mannequin dressed in a princess's outfit. Behind the mannequin, I saw a excellently-crafted stained glass window, with the insignia of the town's flag painted in the center. The dark-haired mayor beckoned me further in, walking past a lighted display of moving hearts above a doorway in the back.

I followed her into the rear room, and was surprised at what I saw. It was an expansive café right in her own home, with a wide array of pastries and confections! I saw several different cakes, a cornucopia of fruit, and two drink machines offering an assortment of sweet drinks. The room itself even looked edible, with many pieces of furniture resembling candy, and the wallpaper looking like an elaborate dessert!

The girl gestured me to sit next to her at a table off to the right, where two pigeon-like gyroids served us cups of coffee. After I took a few sips of the warm beverage, I asked her, "I guess you were the one who called me here, is that right?"

Putting down her cup, she responded in turn, "Yep, that's right! But I'm pretty sure you're wondering why I did what I did right about now, aren't you?"

I nodded, while taking a bite of a donut from the plate in the center of the table.

"You're living in Wildfire under the mayoral supervision of Slash, correct? Short guy, about your height, orange hair and twisted sense humor?"

"…Yeah, sounds about right." Although I wouldn't say anything I noticed about him was twisted (except perhaps his sense of style), everything else she described was spot-on.

"Anyway, I called you over here to give you a message." She took a deep breath, then continued speaking, "You see, I'm well acquainted with that Slash guy running your town. I met him a couple months back during an excursion to a tropical island. We talked for a while, sharing common interests and catching bugs, and quickly became friends. A few days after, we visited each other's towns and showed the other their way around the area."

"Mm-hmm…" I swallowed the last remnants of donuts left in my mouth. "I see. Sounds like you two are pretty close. So what was this message you wanted to give me?"

The brunette paused for one uneasy second.

"You see, Azure, I've seen what's been happening in Wildfire right now. The reason why I summoned you here was to implore you… to save Slash from himself."

Utterly confused, I asked the girl what she meant by that statement.

"What? You really don't know yet? Well, here's the thing…"

In an instant, her expression changed, her eyes widened in shock.

"Raina! What's wrong?!"

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go now." It was obvious from her voice that she was in a state of panic. "As for what I saying earlier, I have a feeling you'll get what I meant soon enough! Once again, I'm so sorry I have to leave so abruptly…"

"Wait a sec, why do you have to go?! We only just met!"

She started to say something, but I couldn't hear a word she spoke as she slowly slipped away from my side, getting more translucent, stretching out her arm with her eyes starting to tear up. I reached out my hand in response, but it was to no avail. Both she and the room around me started to fade into nothingness. I had no idea what in the world was going on, but I feared the worst.

Then everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hello there, faithful readers! This is the Golurker with news about story updates. With the Thanksgiving weekend drawn to a close and classes starting back up, I'm going a small hiatus. I have a couple of assignments to take care of pretty soon, but I will continue writing when I have some free time on my hands. However, worry not! Odds are pretty good I might be able to update as early as Thursday! In the meantime, please enjoy the following chapter!**

_**Chapter 6: A Descent from Darkness**_

When I finally came out of pitch-black darkness, I found myself in a tiny, dimly-lit, dilapidated room. The wallpaper was peeling, revealing the underlying brick work in several spots. The floor wasn't much better, which consisted of only a thin mat in tatters covered with dirt and grime. However, something told me that I was still dreaming. It might've been the fact that I was floating about a foot from the ground.

Looking down, I saw a dog strapped onto a metal table. The canine was shaking, obviously scared out of his mind, its yellow eyes widened in fright. I then noticed another figure in the room. The lack of light made it hard to make out any of its features, but I could discern its frigid, apathetic blue eyes through the flickering radiance of the room's lone light source. It became very clear that this must've been the scene of the Lucky's nightmare. The entity in the shadows slowly reached out one hand, ever inching closer to his unfortunate victim's right eye.

"N-no… please… don't do it!"

Spreading the eyelid further open, the monstrous sadist uttered a few words.

"Heh heh heh… You may say _nay_, but I say… _Aye,_ for an eye…"

It then proceeded to rip out the helpless canine's ocular organ. A pained, ear-splitting howl echoed through the small enclosure, as more and more grievous wounds were inflicted by the same hand. All the while, cold, cerulean-colored eyes gleamed in the darkness, not showing the slightest bit of remorse.

The scene soon shifted to a slightly more spacious, brighter-lit room. The metal table and shoddy wallpaper were still in place, but the victim this time was significantly more diminutive and rodent-like. There was no mistaking it. This had to be Chadder's ordeal. The blue-eyed beast was back to his old tricks with my dance fanatic friend, doing many of same sadistic surgical procedures it had done to me, with that unnatural reflective face smiling in the shadows.

The scene before me was getting too hard to watch. It just didn't seem right to stand by (or in this case, float) and do nothing! It sounded a bit crazy, but I felt I could do something to stop this thing, right then, right there. After all, the realm of dreams was the only place I could actually have any sort contact with a fiendish nightmare. I didn't know if any actions I perform would have any sort of impact, but I at least had to try.

Unfortunately, I never even got the chance. The fiend must've detected my presence, as it turned its head in the exact direction I was facing, and lunged straight at me. However, in doing so, it had charged straight into the luminous part of the room, revealing it had a full head of thick, unkempt orange hair. The figure's mirror-like visage also faded in the process, unveiling a very familiar face. It felt like my heart sunk right into the depths of my stomach as soon as I saw it.

There's no way… it couldn't possibly…

The force behind all this madness… the one responsible for these nightmares…

It was Slash?!

I abruptly awoke back in the Dream Suite with a gasp, my heart beating very rapidly, in the midst of tingling bells and chimes. The elephantine Luna was right beside me, looking very concerned.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her soothing voice tinged with worry, "Did something go wrong?"

I tried to regain my composure by taking in a couple deep breaths, and then responded, "Don't worry, I'm fine… I just got a little… surprised is all…"

She looked at me with those mildly-hypnotic eyes, obviously not believing a single word I said for a second. But seeing my current state, she must've thought it best to not inquire any further and let me go my separate way.

While breathing in the slightly saline seaside air of Wildfire's shopping district, a torrent of thoughts flooded through my mind.

Could that being really have been Slash? The same kind and generous mayor who helped me settle in this town? Could the same caring and concerned person who helped me get back on my feet after my nightmare, really be the one who caused it? …No, there's no way that could be right. A person like him would never do something like that. There had to some explanation. Maybe that fiend had taken on his form to deter me? Or maybe it was so hideous that I mentally replaced its face with something I could handle? There just _had _to be something… Perhaps talking to him directly on the matter would help elucidate things.

In a twist of serendipity, I managed to spot Slash not too far off from where I was. But for some reason, the orange-haired mayor had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face.

"Hey, Azure, c'mere for a sec, there's something I need to tell ya."

Sensing it was something urgent, I started making my way toward him, but before I got close, he disappeared in an instant.

I then felt a sharp prick in my neck, and my vision blurred…


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: A Lunatic's Lament**_

"_Wakey-wakey…"_

I opened my eyes and saw an orange blur amidst a gray backdrop. After blinking a few times, my vision cleared to reveal it was Slash, scantily-clad as ever, with only his grass skirt and ever-present face bandage shielding him from the chilled air of the laboratory. How he didn't seem to feel the cold was beyond me.

"I was wondering when you'd come to! I mean, seriously, I go through all the trouble of bringing you here and you couldn't have the decency to get up on time?!"

"Please, like you're one to talk about decency! Now, tell me, why did you bring me here?!"

"…My, aren't we feeling a bit feisty!"

With one flick of the wrist, tight cuffs clamped around my limbs in the metal chair I apparently was sitting in. While I vainly struggled to break free, the orange-haired youth continued on.

"I said I wanted to speak with you, didn't I? So why don't ya take a load off and sit down for a bit… Oh wait, you already are…"

His voice trailed off in a jaded chuckle.

Despite his physical appearance, I found it very hard to swallow that this person, if one could even call him that, was the same mayor of Wildfire I knew.

"Who are you and what have you done with Slash?!"

He glared back at me with a look of smug derision. "Heh heh heh… How naively optimistic of you… I _am _Slash! I'm not some creature taking on his form, or some evil spirit possessing his body, as I'm sure you're probably thinking right now. What you see before you is the one and only me!" He paused for a brief moment. "Hmm… Actually, that's not entirely true…"

"What do you mean?…"

"This might take a while, so how 'bout ya kick off your shoes and make yourself… comfortable…"

Turning his back toward me, he snapped his fingers and my shoes instantly disappeared… along with the rest of my clothes.

"H-hey! Why did you?!… Wait, how did you…"

"It's elementary, my dear Azure! Right now, you're under the influence of my recently-completed dream manipulating machine! With it, I can control everything that happens! Hopefully this time 'round, you'll actually stay put!"

He turned back around and looked at my face flushed with embarrassment.

"…Oh, very well."

He snapped his fingers again, and my clothing was restored to its rightful place.

"Personally, I don't get what the big deal is. It's not like it's anything I haven't seen already." Before I could protest in indignation at his sardonically smiling face, Slash began his tale.

"Before arriving here in Wildfire, I used to live in a faraway city. It was in a colder climate, with warm weather seldom occurring outside the summer months. I lived with my parents on the third floor of an apartment building."

The background behind him shifted to depict the very scene he had just described.

"I'll admit, it wasn't always bright and sunny, both literally and metaphorically, but I was nonetheless happy with my life there. Happy, until three years ago, that is…"

Just then, I could discern a glimmer of sadness in those icy blue eyes of his.

"It was during the summer of that year that my father had contracted a horrible disease. Though I was by no means some wide-eyed idealist, I persevered in the optimistic belief that he would one day recover. Time passed on by… days… weeks… months… And then one day, it looked like all our troubles were over as the disease was seemingly cured! …But we only had received a temporary respite, as the same terrible affliction returned with a vengeance a few weeks later. By that point, it had worsened to such a degree that it was declared incurable. Distraught, my mom and I had banked our hopes on a miracle happening to fix all this… But alas, that miracle never came. It was on that cold, dreary February morning that my dad died…"

The background scene changed again to show a long-haired bespectacled woman weeping over a hospital bed, in which laid a gaunt man with jet-black hair. Despite the events leading up to where I was now, seeing this scene before me made me tear up a bit.

"All I could do at the time was stand there, hold my weeping mother in my arms, and attempt to console her… I felt so helpless and pathetic… But it was there that I decided that I wouldn't take this lying down. It was then that I vowed to find a way to bring my dad back to life."

The scene then shifted to a dimly-lit room, not unlike the makeshift workspace used when Lucky and Chadder went under the knife.

"I set my sights on being able to transfer a mind over to a different body. After I conducting several experiments on rodents of the non-anthropomorphic variety, I was able to achieve that goal. But the real test was yet to come: putting my own mind in a new body I created myself. I'll admit it was a bit risky, but having done all that research, I was confident that it would work. And as you can see, those risks I took paid off, resulting in the person standing before you."

As tragic and compelling that story was, I didn't see how any of this had anything to do with what he commented on earlier about not being the only one of him.

As if reading my mind, he continued on to say, "…Have a little patience, I'll get to the end eventually, just… sit tight." After a small self-indulgent chuckle, he resumed his tale.

"I then moved on to researching the matter of furthering the body's natural regenerative capabilities past the normal rate. With this knowledge in my repertoire, I hoped it would bring me one step closer to achieving my ultimate goal. However, one of my experiments went awry and left me with a cut that would never heal."

Just as he said that, the orange-haired youth lifted the bandage that covered the bridge of his nose. He let the wound bleed for a little while to prove his point, before reapplying the bandage.

"It took me no small amount of time to perfect that project, but I managed to pull it off. Having achieved that, it then dawned on me that my old body was simply laying around, just being preserved and I didn't have an inexhaustible supply of hair dye and contacts to mask my new body's natural orange hair and blue eyes from everyone else I knew. So I took the liberty of synthesizing a replica of my own brain using brain scans as blueprints. After that deed was done, I placed that brain inside my former body and then, well…"

A dreadful feeling of realization slowly welled up inside me. It couldn't be… Slash's old body given life once more… That being…

"It was me, wasn't it?!"

"Very astute there, Azure! That's right! In essence, you are the other me!"

It was at that point my whole world turned upside down, shattered, and was done away with in a fiery explosion. After the nightmares, the betrayal, and that astonishing revelation, I couldn't do much of anything but sit there slack-jawed and stare out into space at the one who essentially created me.

Undeterred, the orange-haired progenitor continued speaking to my half-listening consciousness.

"All your vital signs were stable, but there was one problem, you just wouldn't wake up! I suppose that was to be expected considering I myself am quite the late riser, but laying there for days in a dormant state was getting ridiculous! With my cosmetic stockpile dwindling down to its last remnants, I told my mother that I was moving out. It was a tearful farewell, but I had to go through with it. I couldn't let anyone else find me out. Not after I had gotten this far. So I packed up everything and went out the front door… It was a long and arduous journey… You wouldn't believe how hard it was stuffing you into a bag and carrying you all the way to the train station without raising any suspicion!"

He paused for a second, perhaps awaiting for a reaction out of me, but he received nothing but a blank stare.

"In any case, I took the next train headed for a town named Wildfire, a warm secluded beachside town that I saw in a travel brochure once. I entered the train, bag full of you in tow, only to see that the car was completely empty, save for one indigo-furred anthropomorphic feline. As I took you out of my very spacious backpack, the crimson-eyed cat struck up a conversation with me, asking various questions. Though strangely, not a single inquiry pertained to the slumbering kid I had unloaded. When I had arrived at my destination, I left you in the care of that cat Rover until the day you awoke."

"B-but… what about… the nightmares… L-Lucky… Chadder… and me?…" I was still in a mind-shattered daze, trying to recover from the bombshell of information that had been dropped on me, but I still had to know.

"Ah, yes… I suppose I do owe an explanation for those. All the so-called 'nightmares' you all experienced were all terrifyingly real. After perfecting my regenerative capabilities, I had to see if those same attributes could be given someone else. In your absence, the other villagers in the town would have to suffice. Lucky, my first test subject in Wildfire, was ironically not so lucky, as his right eye never grew back. However, Chadder and the others who came after him fared much better, making a complete recovery after their ordeals. I'll admit, it was a bit difficult seeing them in excruciating pain, but I found that adopting the persona of a crazed mad scientist certainly helped things along. And then, the day finally arrived when you came here to this town."

The fiery-haired kid reached across and grabbed his shoulder like I saw him do once before.

"After weeks of eagerly anticipating your arrival, I was filled with elation that you finally woken up! As I showed around town, as you undoubtedly remember, I felt like I had made a new friend. Someone I could feel at ease with. Someone I felt I could open up to. There weren't very many people that I could say that about. …But, I had to remind myself of the reason I brought you here. To help me in the research of resurrecting my father. The night after your house was built, I steeled my nerves and brushed myself with the reflective body paint that you had a hand in helping perfect, in the hopes you would never find out it was me that was doing the things I was about to do. Assuming the mad scientist persona, I took my crudely-fashioned blade and, er, cut it loose."

I was expecting another self-indulging chuckle at yet another one of puns, but Slash maintained his somber expression.

"When I saw you the next day, I was overcome with guilt at the aftermath of my deeds. Though your wounds had healed, it was obvious that you were still in pain. I did everything in my power to help you recover; I didn't want to see a friend of mine to continue to suffer so much…"

He then turned around as his voice broke on that last sentence. Pausing for a moment to regain his composure, he continued on with a twist of sorrow and rage in his voice.

"But you just had to go investigate, didn't you! I was hoping you wouldn't stick your nose further into this whole thing, but you couldn't help yourself! …You just couldn't try to forget about it like everyone else… Now look where it's gotten you!"

His sudden burst of strong emotion snapped me back to full awareness. I wanted to give a response, but I had no idea what to say.

"As much as I liked you, I couldn't let anything stand in the way of my goal! Which is why, inside the walls of town hall, I resolved not to let you interfere."

He turned back around and looked me straight in the eye, slowly walking closer.

"…As much as it pains me to do so, I'm gonna have to stop you right here and make you forget that any of this ever happened."

The next thing I remembered was extreme pain…


	8. Final Chapter

_**Final Chapter: A Chaotic Climax**_

How long has it been? A minute? An hour? A day? One's sense of time tends to get distorted when subject to agonizing torment. It was hard to believe. I've gotten so close to putting a stop to this nightmare, but every memory of my arduous pursuit of that goal started fading away, growing more and more distant, before it would eventually disappear completely. Could it be that all my efforts have been in vain? The pain, the suffering, the shame, all of it would be for naught?

No…. No, I won't allow it!

I have come too far into this situation to just let all my hard work go to waste! I have gone through too much just to give up! There wasn't a chance in Wildfire that I was going to succumb to this pain! Not here, not now, not _ever_!

Mustering every last bit of my willpower, I broke through the cold metal restraints.

When I awoke, I found myself in the same chair I was previously trapped in, with a black metal dome atop my head. Seeing the room was devoid of any mad scientists, I promptly tossed the headgear aside and ran out the front door.

I had to track down that orange-haired sadist and put an end to his actions. No matter what tragic course of events compelled him, what he was doing wasn't right. I had to stop his crazed experiments once and for all. But not a few steps out the door and a Japanese-style sword landed less than half-an-inch from my face.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

I turned to my left to see Slash on the other side of the town's center bridge, wielding a blade very similar to the one that almost skewered me.

"Pick it up."

Without hesitation, I complied. Considering how close that last throw came to hitting me, there was a strong possibility that the next attack wouldn't miss if I didn't do as he said. However, I still had to say what I needed to say.

"Slash, you have to stop this! Think about what you've been doing! Those horrible things you did aren't right! They aren't fair to me, or any of the other villagers!"  
The flame-haired youth glared at me with an angry scowl.

"Shut up! If there's anything I've learned over the years, it's that _life_ is not fair! You can't survive in this harsh reality until you accept that! Put away that insane idealistic garbage and face me!"

He raised his blade, allowing it to gleam in the moonlight shining down from the clear night sky. It became obvious that he wanted to have a sword fight, but why?

"Now, I know what you're thinking, why do I want a clash of blades when it's so barbaric and clichéd? Simple. This whole world is barbaric and clichéd! Take a look throughout this wretched world's past; the same tragic events repeat themselves over and over… It's sickening! As much as I'd like to, there is no escaping this cruel reality! …However, there is one thing that can be gained from that vicious cycle: in this world, right and wrong aren't governed by some set of universal laws, it's decided by whoever is the victor! You may think my actions are wrong, but are they really? …There's only one way to find out."

I wanted cry out about how far from the truth he was, how he was driven mad by his ambitions and the pain of his loss, but there was no time left for talking now. I had never wielded a sword before in my brief life, but there was no other choice. I had to beat the lunatic at his own game.

I raised my blade, its hilt wrapped in an azure cloth befitting my name. The orange-haired swordsman let out a piercing battle cry and charged with his weapon.

The battle had begun, with the Lunar Bridge as our battleground.

Slash leapt forward with great ferocity, preparing his blade for a downward strike. Between the savage look in his eyes and my lack of weapon-wielding experience, I felt a wave of panic sweep over me. How could I avoid getting sliced in half by his attack?! What course of action should I take?! It looked like it was going to be all over with that first strike, but my body instinctively took over and blocked it with the flat of my blade.

The sudden loss of momentum caused the flame-haired youth to stumble backward, but he quickly got back up on his feet.

"Well well, not bad." he said while dusting himself off. "Then again, I shouldn't expect any less from my old body." From his perspective, it must've been like fighting against himself. Interesting as it was, I wasn't going to fall victim to some twisted cosmic zen riddle. Seeing an opening, I lunged at him with the point of my weapon. But unsurprisingly, he was able to sidestep my attack with ease, and fluidly transitioned into a horizontal swipe. I managed to duck just in time and tried attacking from below, but he quickly parried my strike away. We both hopped back, hoping to gain new ground in the battle with a fresh start on the swordplay. But as the night wore on, we found ourselves trapped in a deadlock. It went back and forth, both of us each having a turn at attempting to strike and negating the other's attacks. But no damage was inflicted, save for a few occasional nicks, which healed quickly due to our regenerative capabilities.

I could see in my peripheral vision that the sky was turning a lighter shade of blue. Dawn was coming, and this fight was getting us nowhere.

After swatting away yet another one of Slash's sword strikes, we both stumbled backward onto our knees, panting heavily from exhaustion. This had to stop.

"Fighting like this senseless! All we're doing is just tiring ourselves out! We need to end this!"

"…I couldn't agree more."

With a new burst of energy, Slash charged ahead once again, attempting a downward strike aimed straight at my forehead. My instincts kicked in once again, raising my blade to block it. But the strike veered off to the side and turned into a horizontal swipe, carving a large gash in my stomach. I fell backward with my grip loosened on my sword, allowing it to clatter out of my hand and onto the bridge. Days of hardships, several hours of fighting, and an overflow of various emotions, only to be done in by a simple fake-out maneuver.

As I clutched my wound, Slash loomed over me, bloodstained blade in hand, prepared to deal the final blow. Even if my wound had somehow healed in time, regenerative capabilities did not mean immortality.

With a look of triumph on his face, the orange-haired swordsman spoke.

"You were tough, I'll concede to that, but now it's over." He raised his weapon. "Any last words?"

"No… Not yet anyway."

Mustering up a second wind of my own, I grabbed my blade and thrust it through the abdomen of my would-be assailant.

His expression changed to one of disbelief, as he dropped his weapon and fell to the ground with my blue-hilted blade embedded in his body.

"I guess you're the one who's right, seeing as you're… the one who won…"

"No… You're wrong!" I managed to stand on one knee, while the flame-haired kid lifted head in bewilderment. "I'm right, but not because of some stupid sword fight! Treating me and the other residents of this town like your test subjects is just plain wrong! We are our own beings, not just things for you to use anyway you please! Look, I'm truly sorry about your dad, I really am, but his death does not justify in any way the actions you carried out! Chew on this for a little, what would _he _think if he saw everything you've done?!"

As soon as he heard those words, Slash's face filled with shock and remorse as tears started to form under his eyes.

"And here's a piece of reality for _you_, Slash: no matter how much science and research you accomplish, you can't bring the dead back to life! Which is why you can't keep living in the past like this! I can't say I've ever had the chance to know your father, but I'm confident he'd want you to move on! He'd want you to go out and make friends. True friends. Ones whose trust you won't betray."

With tears streaming down his face, the orange-haired youth managed to utter a few words through the sobs.

"Th-that's great and all, b-but… I'm guessing i-it's a bit late for that now…"

After saying that, he put his head back down on the ground and closed his eyes in resignation.

"Go on… deal the final strike…"

I bent down to pick up the sword that Slash had wielded not too long before, its hilt wrapped in a cloth the same color as his hair, and raised it above my head. I thought about all the things that happened leading up to where I was now, my move to Wildfire, the nightmares I went through, the investigation I undertook, and the girl I had met in the snowy town of Overlook.

I tossed the orange-hilted blade off to the side.

Upon hearing the sound of the metal hitting the bridge floor, the wounded mayor opened his watery blue eyes, filled with confusion.

"No. I'm not letting you get off that easy. In case you've forgotten, you still have an entire village to make restitution for. After all you did, you have to face what you've done and make it up to them."

The flame-haired youth sighed dejectedly.

"I suppose this means I have to tell them how I used them as my own personal lab rats under the cover of night, huh?"

I wanted to respond yes to that statement, but ultimately, that course of action would do more harm than it would good.

"…No. It means to you have to clean up this mess you caused by actually staying true to what you said before about making this town a better place for those living in it."

I then pulled the blue-hilted blade out of Slash's torso, allowing him to sit up while his wound gradually closed.

"So, is that the reason you spared me, Azure? So their lives would get better? I gotta say, that's very heroic of you." The mayor had a small grin on his face as he said that, perhaps glad that I didn't turn out like he did in the face of adversity.

However, I couldn't take all the credit for giving him his second chance. There was someone else equally responsible.

"Actually, that wasn't the only reason. There was someone else out there. Someone who wanted me to save you from the hole you dug for yourself. Someone who is, as far as I can tell, one of your true friends. She was the one who asked me to save you from yourself, and I highly doubt she'd want you dead, especially by my own hands."

And judging by the subtle smile he had on his face, I didn't even have to say a name for him to know exactly whom I was referring to. But soon that smile gave way for a more serious, contemplative expression.

"I wonder how Raina's doing right now… I really hope she's OK…"

Off in the distance, I could see a glimmer of sunlight on the horizon, as I heard the sound of the town's bell signal the dawn of a new day.

After everything that happened the past three days, I felt that I couldn't stay in this town for much longer. There was another journey that I knew I had to go on. After saying my farewells to all the villagers awake at the time, I headed out for the train station. Given the secluded nature of Wildfire, the trains didn't come by often, so I settled under a tree near the entrance to enjoy the last sunrise I would witness during my stay here. About an hour or so later, I could hear the faint sound of the train trudging along on the tracks. I was about to enter the station in preparation to board when someone called out my name.

"AZUUUUUUUURE! Hey! Over here!"

I turned around and saw that it was none other than Slash, accompanied by my two friends, Lucky and Chadder. The orange-haired mayor was the first to speak.

"I heard you were leaving town, so I thought I could make sure ya leave with a proper sendoff!"

As he drew closer, I saw he was carrying a large gift basket filled with all sorts of things, including various snacks and a copy of Chadder's favorite song, K.K. Soul. I also saw that for once in his life, he was fully clothed.

"Oh yeah, there's something else I wanted to show ya! Lucky, would you do the honors?"

Right on cue, Lucky lifted a couple of bandages covering the right side of his own face, revealing an orb shining with a yellow light.

"Whaddya think, pretty cool, huh Azure? Slash made this for me! Not only can I see better, I now have x-ray vision! I'm like some kind of superhero now!"

I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. The handiwork was amazing, with its mechanical elements unnoticeable without intense scrutiny. How Slash managed to complete it and get a whole gift basket ready in such a relatively small amount of time was equally impressive. But most impressive of all was that it showed that Slash was a changed person. I could say with confidence that the "nightmares" that plagued the town were never going to return again.

"_All aboard!"_

The four of us entered the station as the train pulled in. Grabbing my newly-acquired gift basket, I boarded after Chadder treated us to an impromptu dance performance. As the doors closed to the vehicle, I waved farewell to the mayor and my two friends, my last glimpse of them being all three trying to fight back tears.

As I turned around to take a seat, I was greeted by a familiar face. With indigo fur, and crimson eyes, it was none other than the roving feline I had on my previous train ride… Oh, now I get it. Very clever, Rover's parents, very clever.

I took my seat across the furry ferroequinologist, and as per usual, he started to ask me questions.

"So where are you headed now, my friend?"

"I'm off to a town named Overlook, to meet the girl of my dreams."

**Author's Note: And that's all he wrote! So what'd you people think? Did it end the way you thought it would? Did you enjoy the story as a whole? Feedback you give is greatly appreciated! As for me, I not quite sure what I'm going to write next, but chances are it'll either be something Pokemon or Dragon Quest IX related. But until that time comes, Golurker out!**


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